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Plante changed the way a goalie looked and then some

Jacques Plante earned seven Vezina Trophies, recorded 82 shutouts, won five Stanley Cups and also changed the game by becoming the first goalie to don a mask. He played for the Leafs from 1970-72.

By Brian Mockler Special to the Star

Wed., Nov. 2, 2011

This article was originally published in the Toronto Star on March 2, 1986

Often the record book does justice to a hockey player.

In Jacques Plante's case, the record was considerable: Seven Vezina Trophies, 82 shutouts, five Stanley Cups - a remarkable career.

But cold facts alone cannot do justice to Plante. He elevated his trade to a craft, in the process mastering both its art and science.

His many accomplishments were noteworthy. Thanks to Plante's pluck and Andy Bathgate's slapshot, two generations of goaltenders have been left with faces likely to inspire the affections of someone other than their mothers.

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And Plante's wanderlust altered forever the jobs of defencemen and goalies.

In an era when NHL goaltenders were renowned as much for their off-ice idiosyncrasies as their on-ice achievements, Plante stood apart in both areas.

Countless stories comprise the Plante legend. But it was while he was toiling in Toronto — in the city to which he was allergic — that an incident occurred that spoke volumes about Plante the man and Plante the goaltender.

The setting was Maple Leaf Gardens. It was late spring of 1971 and the Leafs had long since been eliminated from their futile quest for Lord Stanley's Cup.

Nonetheless, the Gardens was alive with hockey activity. Producers of the justifiably ill-fated Canadian movie Face Off were filming action sequences for their hockey love story. Plante and a good number of his NHL brethren had been conscripted for the cause.

Even Harold Ballard got into the act. He opened up the Gardens for the day's shooting, charged a dollar for admission and donated the proceeds to charity.

On the ice, however, his goaltender was being anything but charitable.

Filming had been rolling along smoothly. NHLers in various sweaters had been letting Leafs defenceman Jim McKenny, the on-ice double for the film's star, Art Hindle, score on a dazzling series of three-on-ones, two-on-ones and solo dashes. (Unfortunately for McKenny and his employer, he was never able to duplicate the feats when the action was for real).

The trouble started when the script called for a scene of an opposition player scoring on the Leafs goal. The player in question was former Leafs bad boy Mike Walton, by then a Bruin.

Three times Walton was sent in alone on Plante. And three times Plante refused to yield.

There was an anxious confrontation between the film's production staff and the Leafs netminder. Plante was visibly agitated, his mask bobbing up and down throughout the exchange.

Suddenly the consultation ended. Then after a short delay came the familiar voice of Gardens PA announcer Paul Morris: "Monsieur Plante," he intoned, "wishes it to be known that he is consenting to allow the puck to enter the net."

The crowd loved it. And Plante, as he was soon to demonstrate, meant it.

Walton raced in alone on Plante again, a goal now assured.

What did Plante do?

He did what he did flawlessly thousands of times during his 17-year career whether he was playing behind the all-stars who worked on the Canadiens' blue line or the sad-sack Ranger defence.

He stopped Walton cold.

The Gardens erupted, the few hundred fans making more noise than was heard at most games of that era.

As for Plante himself, he skated about 30 feet from his crease, his narrow shoulders drawn together in a theatrical shrug as if to say he couldn't help himself.

There was another consultation, more exasperation and yet another breakaway. This time Monsieur Plante consented to allow the puck in the net.

Walton got his goal and Plante had made his point. That's the way he played his position: nothing was yielded without a fight.

And that's who the hockey world lost last week at age 57 - Jacques Plante, a consummate professional and a consummate showman.

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